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Anslem defines "God" as "a being than which no greater can be conceived"; he argues that such a being, which exists in our understanding, must also exist in reality. For assume that God exists in the understanding but not in reality. Then we can conceive of a being greater than God (namely, one that exists in reality too). But this by definition is impossible. So God can't exist just in the understanding but not in reality.

How did Gaunilo object to Anselm's argument?

    { 1 } - He objects to the idea of possible beings.
    { 2 } - He says that this form of reasoning is faulty -- since it can just as easily prove the existence of a perfect island.
    { 3 } - He objects that existence is not a predicate.

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1 is wrong. Please try again.

Anslem defines "God" as "a being than which no greater can be conceived"; he argues that such a being, which exists in our understanding, must also exist in reality. For assume that God exists in the understanding but not in reality. Then we can conceive of a being greater than God (namely, one that exists in reality too). But this by definition is impossible. So God can't exist just in the understanding but not in reality.

How did Gaunilo object to Anselm's argument?

This is Plantinga's objection.

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2 is correct!

Anslem defines "God" as "a being than which no greater can be conceived"; he argues that such a being, which exists in our understanding, must also exist in reality. For assume that God exists in the understanding but not in reality. Then we can conceive of a being greater than God (namely, one that exists in reality too). But this by definition is impossible. So God can't exist just in the understanding but not in reality.

How did Gaunilo object to Anselm's argument?

    { 1 } - He objects to the idea of possible beings.
    { 2 } - He says that this form of reasoning is faulty -- since it can just as easily prove the existence of a perfect island.
    { 3 } - He objects that existence is not a predicate.

Let's define "Paradise Island" as an island than which no greater island can be conceived. By a similar reasoning, this island must exist. But this is absurd.

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3 is wrong. Please try again.

Anslem defines "God" as "a being than which no greater can be conceived"; he argues that such a being, which exists in our understanding, must also exist in reality. For assume that God exists in the understanding but not in reality. Then we can conceive of a being greater than God (namely, one that exists in reality too). But this by definition is impossible. So God can't exist just in the understanding but not in reality.

How did Gaunilo object to Anselm's argument?

    { 1 } - He objects to the idea of possible beings.
    { 2 } - He says that this form of reasoning is faulty -- since it can just as easily prove the existence of a perfect island.
    { 3 } - He objects that existence is not a predicate.

This is Kant's objection.

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the end